The Auburn Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners will take to the field in Jordan-Hare this Saturday. It's the third all-time meeting between the Tigers and Sooners but the first to be played on either school's campus.
As the Tigers attempt to claim their first SEC win of the season, let's break down the No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners.
Head coach: Brent Venables
Venables joined the Sooners defensive staff in 1999 and won the 2000 National Championship as the team's defensive coordinator. He departed for Clemson in 2012 to take on the same role.
Oklahoma brought Venables back in 2022 after Lincoln Riley departed for USC, but this time as a head coach, marking his first head coaching job. After a 6-7 first year, Venables led the Sooners to a 10-3 season with a bowl loss to Arizona in 2023.
Venables record as a head coach currently stands at 19-11 as he has his No. 21 Sooners at 3-1 this season.
Offense:
After the departure of starting quarterback Dillion Gabriel in the offseason, the Sooners turned to then-freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold in their bowl game, who posted a performance of 361 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in the team's bowl loss.
Arnold won the starting job this past off-season and gave the Sooners fans something to look forward to this season.
However, Arnold and the offense showed signs of struggle early in a 16-12 week two victory over Houston, where the Sooners did not score offensively in the second half, with their only points coming from a safety.
This offensive struggle was solidified in the school's first-ever SEC matchup against Tennessee. Arnold was benched after multiple first-half turnovers in favor of true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.
Oklahoma lost 25-15 to the Vols, and Venables later announced that they would stick with Hawkins Jr. for the Sooners' matchup against Auburn.
The Sooners have yet to develop a legitimate rushing attack. Arnold is tied with Jovantae Barnes as the team leader in rushing with 138 yards. Hawkins Jr., a threat with his legs, will provide Auburn with problems on the ground.
Overall, the Sooners offense is somewhat unproven, and with a new quarterback at the helm, they will be trying to figure it out against Auburn.
Defense:
The switch from offensive guru Lincoln Riley to defensive-minded Venables also meant a shift in the team's strong points.
The Sooner defense currently ranks 28th in the country with 284.4 total yards allowed per game and is tied for 26th with 14.75 points allowed per game.
Oklahoma has one massive advantage over the Tigers. The Sooners have forced the most turnovers in the country, tied only with San Jose State with 12. Auburn is tied with Eastern Carolina for the most turnovers in the country lost with 14.
The leader of this stout defense is senior All-American linebacker Danny Stutsman. The 2024 SEC pre-season first-teamer is a force to be reckoned with over 100 total tackles in the last two seasons.
The defense has done enough this season to allow its struggling offense to find its identity, and they will continue to try to do so against a struggling Auburn offense.
Auburn and Oklahoma face off Saturday, Sept. 28at 2:30 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on ABC.
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Craig Noyes is a senior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @CraigNoyes58
